Can veterans wear military medals on their civilian dress coats and tuxedos during ceremonial events?

It looks good. We earned them. I just wear the miniature CIB/Jump Wings/Bronze Star lapel pins.

SGT John Keehner
Never thought about wearing a unit crest on a coat.
I do still wear my Military Police branch insignia tie tack.

Each service has a protocol for wearing your medals in civilian clothes. I just Googled and the regs for each service popped. I received a Navy Civilian Service Commendation Medal (it's a new civvy award) today, complete shock by the way, and was searching how to wear that with military medals. Not real clear on that, there is an Order of Precedence for civilian awards, Presidential Medal of Freedom the highest, but I couldn't find any guidance on manner of wear. What was fairly common amongst all service regs was different occasions and dress called for different criteria. Dinner Dress and Evening Dress was miniature medals on left breast pocket. For less formal occasions, some called for "top five" to be worn on a sport jacket. Unless someone was a real jackass, I don't think anybody would call you out as long as they were worn in a dignified and professional manner.

CDR (Join to see) - Good Luck, I have been looking high and low how to wear my service medals with my civilian medal that I earned after service. The regulations explain how a veteran is to wear their military awards and civil awards earned while in service but nothing as to how to wear them if earned after. I have been told to wear one or the other depending on if its a military event or a civil event, or to wear military on the left, and civil on the right. But have been unable to find anything conclusive.

LCDR (Join to see) - Typically this is noted on the invitation yet since many do not have a Frack, the standard Tux "Smoking" is permitted.

MSgt Kenneth Driver Thanks!

SGT Steven Eugene Kuhn MBA , thanks! (That helps)

Undergarments? You wear undergarments?

Commenting here in agreement with GySgt Strong (attitude deserves attitude), but also about the comment where someone mentioned the Viet Nam era when the vets would wear them on, well, pretty much anything, usually a worn out field jacket or fatigue shirt. I was active duty during the last part of that era (never incountry), and if I saw that and the guy looked like he had probably earned them (not bought them at a surplus store), I would salute him regardless of what I was wearing or where we were. Sort of a solidarity thing, because what I believed they were doing was a sort of "in your face" thing to all the hippy-dippy assholes who never risked anything for the freedom to be a jerk, and there were plenty of those who would make comments, a lot were completely against the war and the military, but surplus clothing was very popular at the time. I don't have any combat medals, but I do have a load of other ones, and if, god forbid, that crappy attitude ever returns to the civilian populace, I would wear every one I am entitled to on civilian clothes once in a while just to f@(k with idiots who wouldn't know the difference between an NCO Leadership School (really?) ribbon and the MOH in the first place. And to show solidarity.
In the mid-70's I was in my mid-20's, and I did that, saluted a guy probably in his 30's wearing medals on a fatigue shirt, the one with the slanted top pockets, never knew what that kind was called. Can't recall what medals, but he had a shitload. He looked surprised, saluted back, and his eyes teared up. Not the reaction I expected, but looking back from the vantage of many years, i now understand.

Off the topic a little bit, sorry.

Great post MSgt! When I see vets from the WWII, Korean, Vietnam, Desert Storm and OEF/OIF (Retired). I always salute them and Thanks them for their service.

A good part of the reason for wearing my medals is to EDUCATE the current group of civilians as to what medals are! Many fail to recognize The Purple art!

Agreed and please do not wear them with an assortment of civilian accoutrements. Wear them like you would on your dress uniform.

Wow, this is eye opening. I knew medals could be worn on formal attire. But no way did I realize you could wear them on casual attire as well. Medals on t-shirts just seems wrong to me. When it comes to ball caps, I believe it depends on the cap. I certainly wouldn't wear any medals on my Yankees cap.

This is wrong. You got it from a company that sells them. The Army and the Air Force reg both are specific about when you can wear them and that they should be worn on similar clothing as your uniform.

In the UK for Remembrance Day parades, Battle of Britain parades and official dedication of standards at church, then full size medals will be worn level with the top of the left (handkerchief) pocket of your blazer. This also applies to anyone wearing a suit rather than a blazer. Miniatures may also be worn with either dress without any comment being made if you have lost or pawned your full size medals. For black tie dinners then miniatures are worn on your tuxedo jacket in the same place as mentioned above. However, for white tie dinners then full size medals are worn with tail coats.
Under NO circumstances will any size medals or medal ribbons be worn on any other type of clothing! As any American serviceman/woman will have seen, we Brits are VERY sparing with medal awards. Unless you have been on active service in a theatre of war for the required time to be awarded the appropriate medal for that area, anyone in the British armed services will have to have served 15 years just to be awarded one medal. IE The Long Service & Good Conduct medal. You will be awarded a bar to this medal at the 30 year point.
So I say to any member of the American armed forces, I for one, count myself as a very loyal ally of America have served with the USAF in the UK and in Germany. So please don't snigger at our lack of medal ribbons on our uniforms, They are VERY hard to come by as the UK government are very strict on what and when they authorise any award.

All should be aware that things change over time. Though military regulations concerning wear of the uniform and decorations are public law and normally apply to all, ... not all current regulations apply to those of us who retired before November 2001. Officers, WOs, and NCOs retired before then were grandfather by Congressional Public Law from the current regulations for the wearing of same. Granted, I know there are not many of us left. Our only restriction... wear the uniform and such as desired but do so in good taste.

Roger that, SSG Miller!

First, my medals package contained those little round versions of the medal which I was told was to be inserted into the dress/suit jacket lapel slit normally used for a flower (a flower?). I think I might have done that once. The issue as I saw it being that there is only one slit so how do you attach the other little round medal versions?

Do they not include those little round gimmicks in the medal package any more?

Second, as you describe, I wear my jungle jacket on Veterans Day, Memorial Day and whenever I am visiting the Wall. I am usually wearing jeans when I'm wearing the jungle jacket.

Attached to my jungle jacket is the patch we wore on our nomex uniform displaying our dustoff unit slogan ("If We Can't, No One Else Can"), my Aircraft Crewman Badge and my Combat Medical Badge. I also wear my rank pins on the jacket collar.

I've never gotten a funny look from any [former] [senior] NCO's and in fact, many of the guys who show up are dressed similarly.

I don't know anything about little round ones
I was awarded 7 while in the Marines. Lol I was given only 4 at the time of presentation. The other three I had to hand them back because they did not have enough to had out. Had to buy all of my own. I do wear the ribbons at some non veteran or non military events. But never the medals.

Wow, the only medal they gave me when I left the service was a National Defense medal I think it was. But, I know they focus more on departing members today than they did over two decades ago. My, how time flies.

I was in during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I left under the early transition proram of the early 90's, which was a program to draw down the force. My primary job at discharge was nuclear weapons and secondary was air traffic controller, radar. I had to work the air traffic controllers strike back in the 80's; during the time the ATC system 're-built'/trained new personnel after Reagan fired the striking controllers that is. I decided I wanted something more exciting; so I re-enlisted and did nukes then. Suddenly, the cold war was over. I decided I wanted my degree, so I left the service, got my degree and never looked back. I know I have medals awarded, but don'r remember most of them or what they look like if I did see one. I never thought I would forget that stuff, but, I have forgotten it.....LOL. Civilainized, I am......I do not live in that fishbowl anymore. I call it a fishbowl because I was in the personnel reliability program because of nukes and had access.

But, those are days gone by. I guess I can look at my DD214, and find what I have awarded to me. It was serveral, if memory serves, I had three rows I think it was. But, I don't even keep a 214 in my home. I do know where to find it though; it's on file at the County Clerks office. Never have had a need to keep it handy. I never tell anyone that I'm a Vet. Half the peeps I know do not know it. I did need it back when I got my license to carry concealed firearms. My state likes to license veterans-multiply the force LOL.

Sgt Tom Vaughn - Ha, I thought the Army was the only branch to do this. My company commander in HHC 3/12th Inf (CPT Woods, 1992), told me that since I already had 2 Army Commendation Medals, I had to return the medal after the formation to Top. If I wanted an actual medal to add to my sock drawer, I could see the S4 and order one... Always thought it was tacky...

Thank you for your input and thank you for your service!